Respirator



, Nov. 7,- 1944.

w. H. LEHMB ERG 2,362,382

RESPIRATOR Filed June 30, 1941 WILLIAM H. LEHMBERG INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 7, 1944 REISPIRATOR ..William Leh'mbera", Dudley, M555" American Optical Company,

Southbridge,

Mass, a voluntary association of Massachusetts Application June so, 1941,.Serial No,4o0,457'

4 Claims. (0]. 128- 146) 1 This invention pertains to improvements in respirators and has particular reference to a novel construction and method of making the ame. This application pertains to respirators of the general type set forth in the co-pending application of W. 'H. Lehmberg, Serial No. 328,073, filed April 5, 1040, now Patent No. 2,290,885, granted July 28,1942.

One of the primary objects of the invention is to provide a simple, comfortable and eflicient respirator for general use as protective means for individuals exposed to relatively non-injurious dust particles, etc., and has particular reference to a novel inexpensive construction and method of making the same. "Another objectof theinvention is to provide a respirator of the type set forth herein having Ka portion shaped to'fit the" contour of the face so as to surround the nose and'mouth of the wearer and having new and improved filter shielding means to reduce the possibility of physical injury to the filter portion ofthe respirator.

" A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a perforated shield or filter coverhavin'g means for interlocking the' filtericover with its housing or supporting'structure. f n

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel respirator and means .of 'making same having a cover with apertures therein tovpermit ingress and egress of the air.- o

n A further object of the invention is to provide means for prolonging the life of the respirator, by preventing 'apo'rtion oi dust and foreign particles which might ordinarily engage the outer filter surface of the housing or protective, shield,

from reaching the filter per se.

A further object of the invention is to provide a housing or shielding means for a respirator filter'which'willpermit handling of the respirator without physically contacting the filter per se.

- Another object ottheinv ention is to provide a novel means for securing the filter shield to the supporting structure of the respirator.

A still further object of; the invention is to provide novelmeans'andmethod of supporting and sealing the filter means within a supporting housing; 7 I

A still further object is to provide a relatively simple and inexpensive shield type of respirator and method of making the same.

Other objects and advantages" of the invention may be and may become apparent from the following description considered in combination with the accompanying drawing. Many changes may. be made the detailspof construction, arrangement' of parts, and method of making the same without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the subjoined claims. The present disclosure is byway of illustration only and is not intended'that the exact details of construction shown and described be con sidered as limitations, as arrangements of parts and the method shown and describedisa-preferredillustration only; I i

Referring toith'e drawing: r r Fig. 1 is a front View of a respirator embodying'theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side "sectional view of the assembled respirator, said view being taken substantially for protecting individuals from inhaling small particles of dust and otherforeign matter which may be in circulation in the air and might readily be breathed into the system of a human. be-

ing'under ordinary conditions. Factoryworkers,

miners, and others who are'subjected to the presence of obnoxious dustparticles frequently Wear filters for the purpose of creating more suitable working conditions and for preserving health which might otherwise be impaired and result in occupational diseases of the respiratory organs of thebody. t

Individuals who wear respirators of the type to which this invention pertains, frequently handle the respirator with hands or gloves which are soiled, oily and greasy. In handling the respirator having an exposed filter, the oil,- grease, and *dirt is tra nsmitted to'the "outer surface of the filter which maymake the filter ineffective prematurely. The oil and grease moisten the fibers and permit dust particles to pass through the fibersof the filter, so'that the filter may become ineffective to do the task forwhich it was intended.

" Further, dust particles may readily lodge on I the outer surfaces of the filter, so that the inhalation process of breathing through the filter becomes laborious. To eliminate this undesirable The shielding for the filter may be made ofv 7 any suitable material such as a transparent plastic, and may be substantially rigid or semi-rigid so that the shape thereof is retained throug normal usage.

Referring to the drawing, particularly to Fig. 1, the respirator 6 has a supporting structure 01' base 1 which has connected thereto a cup-like shield 8, said shield having tongues or lips 21 each provided with a beaded end 9 which slide under a link 26 and are connectedto the supporting structureor base-Thy means of screws or pins H A headband l2has a loop 13 which secures opposing ends of the headband 12 to pins, such as. H. A shield air outlet-cover i 4 is provided adjacent avalvein the filter, said valve air outlet cover being" spaced from. the valve so as not to interfere with normal operation ofthe valve parts when the respirator is in use.

Fig. 2 shows the base or' supporting structure 1 having a filter I5 which is. sewed to the inner endofthe rubber structure, said sewing being represented by stitches l6, shown as adotted line. The filter per so maybe also cemented to the rubber supported structure or base member 1, or either one of. thesecurin-g means such as sewing or cementing maybe used. The stitching augments the cementingwhen both features are used but it isto be understood that either one or both of the methods may be sufficient to definitely fix the filter per se to the supporting base 1.. The valve I1 is explained in the co-pending application referred to. herein,. but briefly consists of a flexibl material such as rubber I 8 which acts as..a..valve, said valve rubber being secured to a metallic member having apertures therein, said securing. means being, in the present instance, pins l9. The valve l1 may have a metallic cupped shell 3| which issecured by means of pins to the edges of the hole in. the filter per se.

A supporting wire 2| constitutes a loop which is fastened to the pins l I on the inside thereof, said supporting. wire being used for the purpose of adding rigidity to the filter, and also to act as filter shape retaining means.

The filter shield 8 has a beaded portion 22 around the peripheral edge thereof on the outer surface. This beaded portion strengthens the shield and causes the same to be more shape reraining; -The supporting base T'may be of any resilient material such as rubber, and in forming said base the rubber has acquired a bead around the inside and outside thereof, said beads being shown as 23 and 24- respectively;

" In ordinary assembly, the bead'22'of the shield engages the bead 24 on the outside of the supporting base-while'theperipheral edge of the filter. l5 engages'the bead 23 on theinside of the rubber supporting base. The abutting shoulders 23 and 24 of therubber against the peripheral edge of the filter l5 and the bead 22 of the shield act as'limiting meansragainst each other and also provide a" somewhat increased area.- for thejoining: portion, of the rubber-supporting base I with theafilterrl-i and theshield 8.

The beaded portion 22 of the shield 8 in the area of the link 26 is shaped around the edge of a cut-out portion so that the shaped beaded portion 25 substantially engages the link 26. The lip 21 (Fig. 3) has a beaded portion 9 thereon, which lip and headed portion slip under the link 26 to hold the shield 8 in fixed relation to the supporting base I.

[A large view shownqinFigr 3 discloses the lip 27 in operative position on the supporting base .1 with the lip extending through an undercut portion of the link 26 beneath said link while the bead 9, which has been extended through the undercut portion, engages and latches with the rear edge of the link 26, which link is held in place on the supporting base by pins H. The stitching I B is shown securing the filter l5 to the supporting base "I. The inwardly turned end 28 is explained more in detail in the co-pending application referred to herein before, but briefly is ashaped. rubber portion. that provides aform fit for the face when th respirator is in use by an individual.

Fig. 3 shows an enlarged section of the portion of Fig. 2. shown in elevation and'taken as on line 3-3 through said portion. The superimposed partial side view also shows the relation of. the means l3 for securing the headband 12 to a-pin H; I

Figs. 4 and 5 are respective sectional views as heretofore explained, for the purpose of showing the beadedportion 29, which beaded portion is placed around theopenings 30 to add rigidity to the area of the ,cut-out portions 30. The aperture 32 may or may not be used since the aperture 32 results from cutting out the tip from the protective shield, whichtip results in one form of molding the plastic protective shield. The aperture is not necessary for proper operation of. the filter. i

The openings 30 in the shield or cover 8 have the protective shield, depending on the particular conditions that will be present when the res-.

pirator is worn. The filter per so may be used with the supporting structure and will operate eifectively without the protectiveshield, a primary purpose of the filter cover or protective shield being to resist destruction of the filter per se, prolong the life of the. respirator, increase the time interval between cleaningsof. the respirator and. generallyprolong its efficiency.

It will be. noted, that the respirator cover- 8 is definitely'spaced from the-filter per se and isnot touching the filter material at any point throughout the assembly. The filter material is connected on the inner portion of the rubber supporting structure While the cover is contiguous with the outer surface of the supporting..structure. The filter is not dependent upon the. cover for support, but the cover acts as'a protective means and its. shape adds to the structural strength of the: respirator unit as well as prolonging the life-andvefdciency of the: invention,

It is particularly pointed out that the cover 8, in the vicinity of the link members 26, is so cut out as to have portions straddling the connection members or pins II with the lip 21 so dimensioned as to extend through the undercut portion of the link 26 as illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 3. When the cover 8 is being located in position of use over the filter member, the beaded end 9 of the lip 27 is pressed inwardly thereby causing the flange-like portion of the base memher 1 lying between the filter l5 and the link H to be compressed through the inherent resiliency of said flange-like portion until the said beaded end 9 engages the bead 24 on the said base member 1. Said bead 24 functions cooperatively with the beaded portions 25 surrounding the contour cut away portions which straddle the pins H to locate said cover in proper position over the filter member. The beads 23 and '24 thereby provide locating or positional means for aid in ment provides simple means whereby the cover may be quickly and easily detached from the filt'er assembly. It is to be understood that when the filter members become so soiled or deficient from use as to render them impractical for further use, the covers may be retained and assembled with new filter members.

When attaching the head band I2 to the filter members either of the attachment pins may be used as desired.

Having described the invention, what is claimed is:

1. In a respirator, means for detachably connecting a cup-like shield member to a filter supporting base member, said means comprising a wall portion of resilient material on one of said members, said wall portion having a plate-like link portion of relatively rigid material secured thereto with the inner surface of said plate-like portion having a .portion in adjacent spaced relation with a side surface of said wall portion of resilient material and tongue-like means on the other of said members having an end portion of increased thickness, which thickness is greater than the width of the space between said adjacent surfaces, adapted to be extended inwardly between said surfaces and to be held in binding relation with an edge of said plate-like member through a binding pressure introduced by the resiliency of said resilient wall portion.

' 2. In. a respirator, means for detachably connecting a cup-like shield member to a filter supporting base member, said means comprising a wall portion of resilient material on one of said members, said wall portion having a plate-like link portion of relatively rigid material secured assembling the parts in proper relation with each thereto with the innersurface of said plate-like on and the other of said members having a portion adapted to engage said abutment means for limiting the movement of the tongue-like means inwardly of said adjustment surfaces.

3. In a respirator, means for detachably connecting a cup-like shield member to a filter supporting base member, said means comprising a wall portion of resilient material on one of said members having a relatively long and narrow plate-like link portion secured adjacent its opposed ends to said wall portion with its inner surface having a portion in adjacent spaced relation with a side surface of said wall portion and having a longitudinal edge and tongue-like means on the other of said members adapted 'to extend inwardly between said spaced'surfac'es and having an enlarged beaded end adapted to engage the longitudinal'edge of said plate-like link portion with the resiliency of the material of said wall portion being adapted to retain said beaded end in anchored relation with said plate-like linkportion.

4. In a respirator, means for detachably connecting a cup-like-shield member to a filter supporting base member, said means comprising a wall portion of resilient material, on one of said members having a relatively long and narrow plate-like link portion sec'ured adjacent its opposed ends to said wall portion with its inner surface having a portion in adjacent spaced relation with a side surface of said wall portion and having a longitudinal edge and tongue-like means on the other of said members adapted to extend inwardly between said spaced surfaces and having an enlarged beaded end adapted to engage the longitudinal edge of said plate-like link portion with the resiliency of the material of said wall portion being adapted to retain said beaded end in anchored relation with said plate like link portion, said wall portion of resilient material having a bead thereon spaced from the longitudinal edge of the plate-like link portion surfaces.

WILLIAM H. LEHMBERG. 

